Yugioh 5Ds: A New World
by Magdalene Thorne
Summary: Six years have passed since the defeat of Z-ONE. The Signers now leading normal lives with the Crimson Dragon taking back his marks, all seems at peace. But little does Team 5Ds know how much their beloved city has changed, save their leader, Yusei Fudo and his now close friend, Carly Nagisa. What awaits the team upon their return? A lot can happen in six years...
1. Chapter 1: Recap

**Yugioh 5Ds: A New World**

By Magdalene Thorne

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or anything to do with the franchise. This fan fiction is merely for entertainment purposes and not my own profit.**

**Author's Note: Greetings, my fellow Yugioh fans, it is I, Mag-san, with another fanfiction for you to enjoy. This fic takes place like six years after the end of the series. As with my other 5Ds fic, I wanted to wait to write this once I had gotten farther ahead with that one, but I after having a talk with a good friend of mine, the idea wouldn't leave me alone and I gave in. As with my others works I will try to keep this as close to the source material as I can. The pairings will be canon, including YuseixAki and JackxCarly as the main ones. They really were the only real ones -_- Poor Crow, forever alone. Don't worry I'll give him a love interest, he deserves one. I do have a tendency to show certain characters favoritism, so please bear with me, I want to be fair to all of the characters. As for dueling, I am having an extremely hard time with just the original dueling from my first fic, so I will not be as detailed in the duels here since all the added stuff like Synchros just makes my head hurt. Again, I will try my best **** Thank you so much and enjoy the show!**

Chapter 1: Recap

A young man walked by himself along the halls of his department. His white lab coat fanned behind as he strode at a casual pace, hands in his pockets. He stopped when he finally reached the elevator. He boarded, pressing for his floor after passing his security badge through the slot. As the elevator went up, the metal stopped and he could see the outside from the glass walls. Night had fallen on Neo Domino, the city shining brilliantly, still so lively at such a late hour. He yawned as he turned around, the elevator reaching his floor. He lazily made his way straight to the blue metal doors right in front of the elevator. He leaned in for the rectal scan, which was approved. He yawned again as he put in his code on the small screen, the doors finally opening. He looked around as his staff was hard at work to finish their preparations. They had a presentation of the new reactor in San Francisco scheduled in three days, which would be monitored from Neo Domino. One of the staff, a middle-aged man saw his superior arrive.

"Hello, Professor Fudo," he greeted him with a tired smile.

"Hey, Jefferson, everything fine?" Yusei asked as he sat at his place, already checking over their progress on his monitor.

"Yes, professor, no need to worry," Jefferson said. "Sir, have some faith in us."

"It's not that I don't have faith in all of you," Yusei sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "This is a very important day for us. If all goes well, we have another Ener-D Reactor up and running in the states. Maximillion made it possible for us to do so by allowing us to place the reactor in his main headquarters. If the creator of Duel Monsters has so much faith in us, I don't want to let him down."

"None of us do," a young woman said this time sitting at the farthest station to the right. "Sir, everything is fine. If you think something bad will happen, then it might. Try to stay positive. That's that you tell us when we're freaking out."

Yusei chuckled lightly, "You're right. I should take my own advice. Thank you, Kyoko."

She smiled in a way that said "You're Welcome", turning back to her work. They all knew what this meant for not just them, but also the world. With the success of the first reactor in Neo Domino six years ago, a few more had been planned and were already up and running. One was in Moscow, another in Shanghai, and the latest was the one they were about to unveil in San Francisco. The previous installments had gone smoothly, with a few glitches here and there. But that was to be expected with new technology as this. Ever since then, the regions had prospered, with the abundant energy from the Ener-D Reactors, stability in their economies having grown for the better. Construction on another reactor had just begun in Rome and plans for construction in Berlin and Kenya were in the works.

As nervous as he was about the new reactor activating, and another under construction, he couldn't help the smile of pride that formed on his tired face. This had been his parents' dream, what they had hoped to accomplish upon designing the first reactor so long ago. This was what they had hoped to make a reality had fate not been so cruel to them. Or rather, it had been the fault of the malevolent Earthbounds, who manipulated not only Rudger, but later on, his brother, Rex. Because of them, his parents as well as many others had been lost in the disaster of Zero Reverse. Yusei leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes for a bit, trying to ease his stress. He and his friends had made things right again. They had defeated the Dark Signers, then Yliaster.

After dealing with the weight of the past and future, they had been given the gift of normal lives. The Crimson Dragon taking back his marks, the last time he had seen the mighty beast had also been the last time he had seen his fellow Signers, in person anyway. They had gone their separate ways. Jack and Crow had continued with their dueling careers. Jack had fought his way through many opponents until he had finally gained the title of World King of Riding. Crow had joined a team for tag-dueling. With his skills, the team had become the best, but after a while, he had grown tired of it. He wanted to head out on his own and follow in Jack's footsteps in the solo league. He also wanted the chance to duel Jack after so long. His teammates had not been too happy when he announced he was leaving, but he wasn't irresponsible. He had made sure the right person would join the team.

Rua and Ruka had moved to England to live with their parents after years of neglect on the latter's part. Of course it had been strange for the twins to live with their parents after basically living on their own, but they made an effort to reconnect with them. It hadn't been easy, but the fact they wanted to get to know each other was all their parents needed to know their children still cared about them. Rua had made it his goal to make it to the big league like Jack and Crow. As time passed, his dueling improved, Rua learning the mechanics of a Duel Runner and starting on his own. He eventually joined the minor leagues and swept through them like no one's business. By then, Crow had decided to go on his own and called up the young man, asking him if he were interested in joining his team once Crow left. Rua had jumped at the chance!

Ruka, on the other hand, decided to go a more academic route. She was an exemplary student, becoming a much more social person. Soon enough, she blossomed into a beautiful young woman, which many of the male students took notice of. This did not sit well with Rua, who was extremely overprotective. Ruka didn't mind him, if anything, she appreciated his at times rash actions that kept the wrong type of guy away. Ruka knew when she was ready, she would date. For the moment, all she cared about was getting through college with as few problems as she could. It didn't help her friends were crazy for Rua, always asking if he was dating someone, and kind of girl he liked, and so on. Despite not having her mark anymore, Ruka could still talk with Duel Spirits, mainly Kuribon, Regulus, Tanaka, and Ancient Fairy Dragon, whose name she had found out was Lumina. However, she could only see them in her dreams as her powers were weaker without the mark. She was happy to see them nevertheless.

And lastly, Aki had gone to Germany to study medicine, as she wished to become a doctor. Now she worked in as a doctor in one of the best hospitals in Germany. She was living a dream she had not thought possible when her powers had been so uncontrollable. That had changed once she had met Yusei and her friends. She had not been back to Neo Domino in some time, her parents visiting her on the holidays. She did miss her hometown, and her old friends. She wondered how everyone was doing, especially Yusei, with whom she had a special bond. She had been meaning to go back, a reunion for 5Ds team was long overdue. And with the unveiling of the new reactor in San Francisco, perhaps it would be the perfect time to go back home.

Yusei checked the time on his phone, groaning, "That late?"

"Sir?" the youngest of the team, a young man of 24 looked up at him. "Maybe it would be better to pick this up in the morning, when we're all refreshed and rested. Overworking ourselves isn't good for our health."

"He's right, you know," Kyoko said as she typed away. "I feel like I'm going numb from staring at these numbers for so long."

"That is a good idea," Yusei said as he stood. "Everyone go home. We'll finish up tomorrow."

They were all more than happy to do so. The team slowly made picked up their things and made their way out the control room. Yusei turned off his monitor, the last one to walk out and lock up. Jefferson held the elevator open for Yusei, the whole team exhausted as they rode down to the parking lot. The security team bid them good-night, Yusei hopping on his Duel Runner after quickly changing his clothes. He waved to the others as he rode off. Driving as carefully as he could, Yusei reveled in the cool night air as he revved through the lively streets of the city. Soon, he reached the quiet and deserted streets where houses lined up. He sped past what once had been the twins' home, smiling as he briefly looked up. Riding further ahead, he slowed down once he was near the city park.

He pressed a button and the iron gate to a rather nice house opened. He drove in, the gate closing behind him. He headed to the side of the house where the garage was. The garage door opened with the push of another button. Once he was in, he closed the door. Yusei swung his leg around, stretching after taking his helmet off and heading into the house. It was quiet, smelling of freshly baked coffee cake. He saw the cake on the glass plate, the matching lid over it. One piece was missing. He smiled as he grabbed a water bottle from the fridge and walked from the kitchen to the living room.

Even though it was dark, Yusei knew his way around his own home. He had been living there for some time now. He headed upstairs, trudging along. He was so tired. Before going to his room, he stopped in front of the door to another. He opened the door with great care. Looking inside, he saw the sleeping figure pulling the covers closer to her. He chuckled as he felt the slight breeze touch his face. She had left the window open. Yusei crossed the room, closing and locking the window. He pulled the curtains so the sun wouldn't bother her in the morning. He could tell she was as worn out as he was, maybe more. He quietly made his way out, or tried to. He heard the rustling of the covers and hoped he hadn't woken her up. He had.

"Yusei?" asked the meek voice.

"Shh, go back to sleep," he said as he walked to her side and rubbed her back.

"Did you just get home?" she still asked, looking at him through slid eyes. "What time is it?"

"It's time to sleep, don't worry about it," he said, pulling the covers to her shoulders.

"Okay," she said, letting her eyelids fall. "Good-night, Yusei."

He bent down, kissing her forehead before getting up to leave, "Good-night, Carly."

Yusei smiled as he saw Carly fall instantly to sleep, delicately closing the door. She must have exhausted. Her work really tired her out after a while. He wished she wouldn't push herself so hard, but when he voiced his concerns, she would point out how much of a workaholic he was, and he would pipe down for the time being. He yawned loudly as he entered his room. Quickly changing into his pajamas, a simple shirt and pants, he dropped onto his cushy bed, immediately smiling at how soft it was. After a long day of work, Yusei could think of no better feeling than just falling into bed for a good night's sleep. He pulled the covers over himself, and like Carly, almost instantly fell asleep. His worries over the project forgotten, if only for the night, he finally slept in peace.

* * *

Her phone kept ringing over and over again, but the young woman did not answer it. She was busy packing her bags. She had to make sure she had everything she would need. It was a big trip, though as luck would have it, she would probably buy more things once she returned to her hometown. Getting fed up with the device, she put it on silent and went about rummaging through her closet. She was knee-deep in shoes when her brother entered her room.

"Ruka! Phone for you," Rua said as he held up the home extension.

Not a little boy anymore, Rua had grown up into a handsome young man, the girls unable to ignore it, something Ruka found annoying as some were pretty stuck-up. Good thing Rua was smart enough to steer clear of girls like that. The only thing that was the same about him was the ponytail he had worn, only his hair was longer

"I'm busy," Ruka said irritably, getting up with four pairs of shoes in her hands.

Like her brother, Ruka had grown up. Unlike him, she didn't wear her hair into ponytails anymore. She wanted to look more mature, her hair loose and to her shoulders. She was always the more serious of the two, as Rua joked around.

"It's your friends," Rua waved the phone in her face. "They won't stop calling."

"Tell them I'm busy. They know I can't talk right now," Ruka said, looking at the phone sternly. "I have packing to finish!"

She had directed the words at the pair of girls on the other line, "RUKA!"

"Enough!" she dropped the shoes and snatched the phone from Rua. "Listen, guys, this is a very important trip for me. I cannot, and will not, help you with your homework. Stop being lazy and do it yourselves! I will talk to you when I get back. Have a nice day!"

She hung up sharply, tossing the phone to her brother, who just grinned.

"And you said you weren't excited," Rua teased.

"I never said that. I said I'm not going to act like a six-year-old like someone I know," Ruka gave him a knowing look. "Which reminds me, are you done packing? Our flight leaves tonight and I want to get there in time. Unlike last time, when you took your sweet time and we nearly missed our flight to New York with mom and dad."

"Hey! That was not my fault," Rua defended. "The ticket said the plane would leave at 10!"

"Yeah, 10 AM, not PM," Ruka corrected him with slant eyes.

"They need to make the print bigger," Rua said as he stormed out. "And for your information, I finished packing an hour ago. I'm just waiting on the girl who has to take 10 pairs of shoes for a week-long trip."

Ruka looked at her door, "You know we might stay longer, don't you? This is Neo Domino we're talking about."

The hall was silent, Ruka waiting for the reaction.

"SHIT!" and there it was.

She could hear her brother running to his room, the clatter of things of being tossed. Good thing their flight left at 9 PM this time. She resumed her packing when the home phone rang again. She groaned as she picked it to see who it was. She sighed in relief as she answered.

"Hi, Aki."

"Hey, Ruka," Aki said. "How are you? All set?"

"Almost, sort of," Ruka admitted. "Rua doesn't understand how girls pack for trips."

"Well, he is a guy, after all," Aki giggled.

"Unfortunately," Ruka joked. "Anyway, what's up?"

"Nothing, just about to board my plane. I can't believe we're doing this. Yusei is going to be so surprised!" if Ruka could see her, she would the huge smile on Aki's face. "I can't wait!"

"I bet you can't," another voice interrupted smugly.

"RUA!" Ruka yelled down the hall. "This is a private conversation!"

"Last time I checked, the home phone is for the use of everyone," Rua said a little too happily.

No matter how old they were, Rua would still love to mess with Ruka.

"Hey, Aki," Rua said while his sister fumed.

"Hi, Rua, congratulations on your latest win," Aki said. "I know the guys are very proud of you, I know I am."

"Thanks, Aki," Rua chuckled. "Anyway, about the guys…you still have a thing for Yusei? Because I think it's about damn time you…"

Aki heard the sounds of someone being attacked. She sweat-dropped as she heard the twins arguing on the other line. Rua hadn't noticed Ruka sneaking up behind him, and he certainly hadn't seen her prepare to jump on him. Aki waited for the chaos to stop.

"Sorry about that," Ruka said breathless as she stood up victorious.

She had threaten to rip up some of Rua's cards of he didn't hand over the phone. Though she was curious about what Rua had asked. She couldn't help herself.

"Um, Aki," Ruka said as she played with her hair. "If it's not too much trouble, I kind of wanted to ask you the same thing too."

Rua, who had been holding onto his cards like they were his children, perked up at his sister's words. Aki fidgeted with her knee-long skirt.

"Actually, I do want to talk to him," Aki said nervously. "The last time we talked, things went well. Very well. We've talked a few times since then, but nothing big. I think Yusei was trying give me the space and time I needed to see what life had to offer for me on my own. You remember how thoughtful he always was. I just hope…he still feels the same as I do."

"Aki," Ruka said, preparing herself for a long speech when the phone vanished from her hands.

"Listen, Aki, I know I may not the smartest guy when it comes to things like love and relationships, but I do know that Yusei always had eyes for you. He never once looked at anyone else, not even Sherry, who I think had a thing for him too. But he always looked at you, and I think that's what matters. I don't think something that strong can just go away, do you?" Rua said in way that made him seem much older than he was.

"I don't think so too," Aki said as she felt herself relax. "Thank you, Rua. You're very smart."

"I know," Rua grinned like a goof.

Ruka smiled. Rua always managed to surprise her. She knew Rua was the kind of person who knew just what to say, even if it wasn't very eloquent.

"We'll see you in Neo Domino," Rua said.

"You got it!" Aki smiled again. "Bye!"

Once she had hung up, Aki sighed deeply. That was what she needed to hear. She'd had her doubts ever since planning the whole trip. But Rua had put her troubles to rest. Her nerves still bothering her, Aki took a deep breath as her flight was announcement for boarding. Gathering her things, she confidently made her way to her plane. She had waited six years, a little too long when she had thought about it, so now she had to take the first step. Still, it helped to know the others were going to be there. It helped A LOT.

* * *

"It has been too long," the young man said as he looked out his window of the plane.

He was totally relaxed as he sipped his coffee, steam rising from the hot liquid.

"It really has," his friend said, sitting across from him. "Can you believe it's been six years since the six of us saw each other? I guess what they say is true, time sure does fly."

"Figures you would use that quote, Crow," Jack said with a subtle smirk.

"Glad to see some things don't change, Jack," Crow smiled, knowing his friend was just messing with him. "How much do you think Neo Domino has changed?"

"I doubt there has been much change. It's not like we've been gone for 20 years or anything like that."

Crow just shrugged his shoulders, "True, but a lot can change in a few years. You never know how it can be. Places change, people change, that's just how it is."

Jack didn't respond, simply staring at the passing clouds. He knew where the red-head was going with this. They had been the ones to keep the most contact with each other over the years, mainly due to their professions. As a result, they had talked more about what had happened during their times as Signers. It was when he felt it was the right time to share, that Jack confided in Crow how he had left things with a certain girl in Neo Domino. Needless to say, Crow wanted to beat Jack to a bloody pulp and drag him back to said city so he could formally apologize to the girl in question. He would have considered killing him but decided that was in the girl's rights to decide. Jack owed her that, and much more.

"Jack, do you really think you're going back and find the same old goofy yet lovable reporter from before?" Crow tried to rationalize with him. "It has been _six years_. I'm just warning you now, she won't be the same. That's not a maybe, it's a definitely."

"I get it," Jack said annoyed. "Thanks for the dozen lectures, _Martha_."

"Hey, if she knew, she would be saying the same thing," Crow warned him. "Heck, she would make you make things right by Carly. I'd be surprised if she forgave you right away."

"We have been over this too many times for me to care to count," Jack started as he set down his cup, rubbing his eyebrows in his annoyance. "I get it, I messed up. I was a total asshole to this wonderful girl who did nothing but be supportive to me and the team. I should have kept my big mouth shut, said a quick thank you, and just left there."

"But you didn't," Crow added, leaning in to emphasis his point. "Instead, you said and I quote, 'I'm going to the top, I don't need a woman getting in my way'. I'm sure it didn't hurt Mikage and Stephanie as badly as it did Carly."

"So you want me to go back on bended knee and beg for her forgiveness?" Jack said incredulously. "I may have learned my lesson, but I will not sink that low. I still my dignity, after all."

"But you are going to apologize, right?" Crow asked, suspicion his friend would do otherwise.

Jack tried to change his position in his seat, the conversation getting too awkward for his comfort, "Yes! I am going to apologize. Stop nagging me!"

Crow leaned back, eyeing Jack as though he still didn't believe him. He knew Jack wouldn't lie about something like this. As big as ego was, Jack had learned over time to tone it down, to respect his opponents, to actually be a good sport. Still, Crow had made it his mission to ensure Jack gave Carly a proper apology. She was a good person, and she more than deserved it. He just wondered how it would go. As he had said, people changed.

* * *

It was a beautiful morning in Neo Domino. The temperature was just right, the autumn season starting to set in. It was the time of the year people loved the most, when the weather wasn't too cold too hot, but just right. The birds chirped outside as the sun was half way over the horizon. The room was warm and cozy. What little light seeped through left long lines on the wall and floor. The young woman turned in her bed, the covers now over her head. It was just so comfortable and nice, she really didn't want to get up. But the smell of freshly brewed coffee enticed her. It was amazing how the smell could spread all over the house. She tried to ignore it, but her body told her it was time to get up.

She tossed the covers off of her as she sat up, huffing in her irritation. Her soft-black hair was in a messy bun, the light-grey sweatshirt she had worn clung to one side of her, one shoulder exposed. She rubbed her eyes of sleep, knowing she wouldn't be able to go back to bed now that she was up. She slowly got out of bed, her short white socks dragging along the floor. Yawning, she opened the door and headed for the kitchen. She adjusted the black spanks she wore underneath as she reached the bottom of the stairs, the voices from the T.V. muffled by the kitchen door. Swinging it open, she gave Yusei a sleepy smile as he looked up.

"Good morning, Yusei."

"Morning, Carly. How did you sleep?" Yusei said as he placed a cup of coffee in front of her as she sat down at the island table.

"Like a rock," she said as stretched her arms and back. "I haven't had a good night's sleep like that in a while."

"I'll bet," Yusei chuckled, drinking from his own cup.

"What about you, Mr. Insane Workaholic?" Carly gave him a look that said she knew how late it had been. "Seriously, sleep is crucial. Being deprived of it can lead to serious consequences, like illness, mental and physical, even death."

He laughed under his breath at her dramatic acting.

"Thank you for your concern, I appreciate it," Yusei said, fixing his shirt.

"But will you listen to it?" Carly batted her eyelashes.

Yusei tried to look away but couldn't. Those damn eyes! He could never say no to her when she did that.

"Fine! I'll watch my workload," Yusei relented.

Carly spun in her seat in victory, giggling like crazy, "Yusei listened to me! YAY!"

Yusei shook his head at her behavior. Where she got the energy, he would never know. He checked his phone for any messages. He saw he had one from Yeager, most likely about the project. Going through the rest of them, Carly sipping her freshly brewed coffee with the most satisfied look in the world in the background, Yusei saw he had a couple from Rua, Crow, and Aki. He raised his eyebrow at the screen. It wasn't that he didn't like hearing from his friends, he looked forward to it all the time, but they hadn't called in the same day one after another before. This struck him as odd, and a tad suspicious. He clicked on the first one, from Rua.

_"Hey, Yusei! It's been a while, huh? Anyway, I just wanted to saw congrats on the new reactor. I can't believe this is the third one, or is it the fourth? It's still awesome. Wish I could be there but I have to prepare for another tournament. I'll talk to you later. Ruka says hi too! Bye!"_

Well that was normal, and short, but nothing weird in it. He moved onto the next one, Crow this time. Carly was now looking through the cupboard, standing on the tips of her toes.

_ "Hey, man, how's it been? Crow here, just checking up on you, I know how wrapped up in your work you can get. I hope you're taking it easy, don't want you fainting in front of your employees. Ha! That was weird to say. You have your own employees, Jack and I are champs in dueling, Aki is a big-time doctor now, and the twins are all grown-up. It feels weird how much time has gone by. We should all get together again, for old times' sake. It's been waaaaaay too long, right? I bet even Jack would like to see everyone too, even if he won't admit it. I'll drag him back if I have to. Give me a call later so we can figure something out. Later!"_

That was normal too. Though he was picking up a pattern here. He moved onto the last message, from Aki. He felt himself smile as he read her name. He had talked to Aki more often than his other friends, and it was pretty obvious to everyone why.

"So, are you going to listen to that, or do I have to leave for the sake of your dignity?" Carly asked slyly as she walked up behind him.

"You know me so well," Yusei gave her a small smile.

Carly understood what he meant and left the kitchen with a smirk, trying her hardest not to make fun of her friend despite the perfect opportunity that had presented itself. Yusei waited until he heard her climb up the stairs and turned back to his phone.

"_Hi, Yusei. How have you been? I know you're probably really busy, what with the new reactor in California. I heard from a friend that there was rumor going on that an Ener-D Reactor would be built Berlin. Even if it is a rumor, everyone is really excited about it. I'm sure your parents would be very proud, I know mine are. They won't stop talking about how happy they are for you, and I'm glad I you've kept in touch with them. Anyway, the reason I called was that…well…I just wanted to say…I'm sorry. It has been too long, and I know everyone gets busy with their own lives and jobs, but that's still no excuse for not coming back to see you and everyone else. So I hope we can all see each other again soon. It would be nice, wouldn't it? I'll call you later. Okay? Bye."_

Yusei just stood there, taking in her words. It was nice to hear from Aki of all people. He had missed her a bit more than everyone else. He did care about his teammates. Jack and Crow were family, though not biologically, but that didn't matter. The twins were like his younger siblings, he would always care about them as family as well. But Aki…what he felt for her was different. It would be really nice to see her again. However, as nice as that would be, he felt something else at the moment.

"When do you think they're arriving?" Carly asked, a towel on her arm, looking through her own phone.

"Hmm, probably today, tomorrow," Yusei shrugged.

"They're not very good at covering their tracks, are they?" Carly said as she looked at him with amusement.

"Nope," Yusei said with a blank face.

"I have to finish some paperwork, but I should be done by the time they arrive," Carly locked her phone screen, heading back upstairs. "I'll let you if anything comes up."

"Are you sure you're not just going to avoid it?" Yusei raised an eyebrow in a teasing manner.

"I'm sure," Carly popped her head back through the doorframe.

"Are you really?" Yusei pushed on.

"Yes!" Carly said back.

"Are you really, really sure?" Yusei egged her on.

"I am sure, Yusei," Carly yelled back, starting to get annoyed.

"Are you really, really, really?" Yusei couldn't help himself.

"Yes, I am! Now knock it off!" Carly snapped, stomping into the bathroom.

"Are you really, really…"

He could just hear her muffled screaming as she held the towel to her face. It was payback for how Carly teased him about Aki. Still, he had a good reason for his constant questioning. As excited as he was to see everyone, having known they were bound to return sooner or later, he knew Carly may not have shared in his sentiments, especially concerning one of his brothers. She said she had moved on. Carly had realized Jack did not feel the same way about her as she had him. Perhaps he had at one point, but that feeling had come and gone like the wind. As much as the realization of it had hurt, it was accepting it that had been harder. Luckily, Yusei had been there to help her heal, as well as the other friends she had made thanks to him. She was still a goofball of energy, but she had changed, they all had, that was just how it was. Whatever happened, he knew one thing for certain: it was going to be interesting, no doubt about it.

**Howdy, boys and girls, how are you all this fine evening? Unless it's day where you are, then in that case, how are you this fine morning and/or afternoon? I am actually happy to be starting work on this. I have had this idea floating around my head for some time now, which started at the time that 5ds ended, rather unsatisfactory might I add. This is my way of continuing on from where the original left off. As I said before, I will try to be as close to the source material as I can be. I might make a few mistakes here and there, so feel free to point it out for me when you can. Criticism is always welcomed.**

**Please review, it would make me so happy!**

**Preview: Team 5Ds reunites! What does this mean? The beginning of a new adventure!**


	2. Chapter 2: Homecoming

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or anything to do with the franchise. This fan fiction is merely for entertainment purposes and not my own profit.**

**Author's Note: Hello, everyone! Mag-san here with another chapter for my awesome readers. Before starting, I have some things I have to clear up. First, I completely forgot to clarify whether I was going to follow the original version of 5Ds or the dub, and realized that I went back and forth between the two in my references, not just here but in my other 5Ds fic too. I am soooooo sorry about that! I know some people are confused about that, and I usually clarify this matter beforehand, but I was tired from work and just wanted to post the story since it was NAGGING ME to publish it already! Anyhoo, for the most part, I will be following the Japanese (the original) version since it was awesomer and 4Kids messed up everything. I will make mistakes every now and again, since I didn't technically see the whole show in Japanese. I know what happened as a whole, but some of the terms in Japanese I either forgot or don't know, so please, be patient with me. To Yami, don't worry about a thing. I appreciate your reminding me of that. It's all good :) Onto the story!**

Chapter 2: Homecoming

Riding along the coast was one of Yusei's favorite things to do when he had a lot on his mind. Just watching the waves washing over the rocks and beach, it made him just let go of everything that troubled him so much. The seagulls flew high above, calling out to one another as they hunted for their daily meal of fish. Yusei smiled as he rode down the road, fluid in his movements. It looked easy, but it took a lot of skill to do so, to the point where it became like second-nature to one, which is why he was so confident while passing other cars on the road with Carly sitting behind him. She had been extremely nervous when Yusei had offered to give her a ride to work for the first time a few years before. She had kept her eyes closed through half the ride, clinging to him like her life depended on it.

But once he convinced her to open her eyes, Carly realized how amazing riding a Duel Runner was. The whole world just zoomed past, or rather, they zoomed past it. It was not like riding a regular car, obeying the laws like normal drivers. She felt the wind all around her, seeming to envelop her in its embrace. She observed everything around her, the people, the birds, the streets. It was such a freeing experience. At that moment, she began to understand why those who raced, be it racecar, motocross, street racing, even skateboarding, did so with such passion. It was an exhilarating sensation, and she was happy Yusei had shared it with her. It also brought back this feeling of déjà vu, as if she had ridden a Duel Runner before that day, but she couldn't remember exactly when.

As they drove deeper into the city, Yusei began to slow down as they passed a row of shops, coming to a complete stop in front of a music store, "Here we are."

"Thanks for the ride, Yusei," Carly said as she climbed off.

Her black ankle-length heels clanked softly as she stepped onto the concrete. She adjusted her clothing which had been ruffled a bit by the ride. One change Yusei knew that could be ignored concerning his friend was her change of style. She was wearing a nice red-brown jacket with a white, long-sleeved blouse that was tugged in. The blouse had slightly puffy sleeves and long pieces in the front that were tied to form a cute, silky bow, almost like a tie. Her soft black shorts blended well with the rust-brown lace tights she had on, the delicate pattern running down her legs. Her hair was done up into a pretty ponytail, looking silkier and longer than before as the wind picked. Carly adjusting her glasses, now a thinner frame and clearer glass, where one could really see her face. Yusei had to admit, she was beautiful, even though he was interesting in another, but he was secure enough to say it without it meaning he was interested in her. If anything, she was like his sister by now.

"If my runner was working properly, I wouldn't have asked."

"It's no problem," Yusei said as she handed him back her helmet and placed it back in its compartment. "I'll take a look at it when I get home."

"No!" Carly exclaimed. "You have too much on your plate. Don't worry about me, I'll take care of it. You taught me enough where I can fix it myself."

"You are my best student," Yusei smirked a bit.

"Thank you," Carly bowed. "Now, you better get going. The big day is soon upon us."

"You had to remind me?" Yusei sighed somewhat gloomy.

Carly giggled, "It'll be okay. You worry too much."

"I can't help it," Yusei said with a shrug. "It's a part of my occupation. Anyway, I still want to take a look at your runner. After all, I did build it."

"Fine! If you're going to be that way," Carly groaned as she walked away. "Even though I helped design it and whatnot. But what would I know?"

Yusei just chuckled as he started up his runner again, "See you later!"

Carly waved at him with a smile as Yusei drove off, the sound of his runner lingering for a bit in the surrounding streets before completely fading away. Carly turned on her heel, casually making her way through the crowd of people. Pulling out an old but well-preserved book from her shoulder bag, she started reading where it had been marked off. Expertly walking while deep into the book, making sure she didn't bump into someone, she failed to notice the strong stare of one young man from just around the corner. Sensing eyes baring on her back, she turned away from the book, scanning the crowd for anyone who was acting out of the ordinary. The young man hid well, though Carly knew someone was still watching her. As she was about to walk back from where she came, the beeping of her phone snapped her back to reality.

"Hello," she answered, her eyes still weary.

"Carly! Are you on your way? We're waiting on your report," a male voice a few years older than herself said.

"Yeah, I'll be there in a few minutes," Carly replied in a normal tone, but her expression still held caution.

"Please hurry!" the man on the other line implored.

"Okay, relax," she sighed exasperated, rubbing her forehead lightly as she resumed her path. "I'll be there soon. Just calm down, Donald."

"I'm sorry, Carly. It's just that the higher-ups have been on our case again," Donald heaved out a breath of exhaustion.

"The whole department?" she asked him a bit surprised. "Those guys will never learn. They expect results to just come out of thin air in a flash. Hopefully I can reason with them in my meeting today."

"Good luck," Donald laughed sympathetically. "See you soon."

"Thanks, bye," Carly said as she hung up, picking up where she had left off and speed-walking like a pro.

From his hiding spot, the young man poked his head out, staring at Carly as she disappeared around the block.

"Did she see you?" a small voice whispered.

"No, but she knew I was here," the young man said, leaning against the wall.

"What now?" the voice asked.

"The Signers are returning soon," the young man said, the voice gasping. "We have to wait a little longer before making our move. Once they reunite, he will return as well."

"The Crimson Dragon," the voice breathed, walking out of the shadows and revealing itself to be a girl of 16 years of age, her appearance hidden partially by the shade. "How long will we have to wait, cousin?"

"Hopefully not long," he said as he walked away, the girl following him. "Come, we still have much to do till then."

* * *

Taking those first steps off the plane, Aki had the biggest smile in the world as she got a good look of the Neo Domino Airport. The last time she had been there was when her parents had wished her luck as she was about to leave for Germany to study medicine. She had been so nervous and excited at the thought of a new adventure, this one on her own, to study the ways to help heal others. From way too long lectures to super late-night cramp sessions, she had never felt so happy to be pursusing something she had never even thought she could. Forward six years later, and here she was, back home a successful doctor highly respected in her field.

She felt like she was filling up with excitement again, this time at the prospect at seeing her dearest and best friends again. Sure, going to medical school in the birthplace of modern medicine had been amazing, but she had felt sad every time she would be alone, in her room, looking at her phone and waiting for the guys or the twins to call. It had been too long. Now they had to make up for lost time. As she walked to passenger arrival, where she was to meet her parents, she smiled as she heard the news talk about the new reactor activating soon in California. Yusei came instantly to her mind. She was still nervous to see him after all this time, but Rua's words ringed strong in her head.

"Okay then," she exhaled deeply. "I can do this. I'm a doctor now, I do good things, I deal with bad things everyday, this is nothing."

But her nerves told her otherwise.

"Maybe not," she whimpered.

As she slowly trudged to the cafe she had agreed to meet with her parents, a small cloud of doubt hovering over her, she stopped when she thought she heard her name yelled by a familiar voice.

"Aki! Hey, Aki, over here!" Crow was waving at her with a big grin.

"Crow!" Aki shouted in delight as she quickly made her way to him and Jack. They were actually not far from the cafe. "I can't believe it! It's really you guys!"

She gave Crow a big hug, which he returned, "I know! Wow, you look great."

"You too," she smiled, turned to Jack. "Hey, Jack."

"Hey," he greeted, Aki looking like she was hesitating. "Come on, get over here."

She laughed as he opened his arms for a hug, which she was more than happy to give him.

"It's so great to see you guys," Aki said as she walked backwards to get a good look at them.

"Same here," Crow said. "It's crazy how it's been six years since we left Neo Domino."

"Hmm, everything looks the same," Jack said as he looked around the airport.

"It's only the airport, Jack. Wait till you see the whole city to make your final call," Aki shook her head in happy disbelief.

"Oh, you know Jack, there are some things about him that won't ever change," Crow joked.

"Normally, I would feel the impulse to kick the crap out of you for that remark," Jack said with crossed arms, "but I have grown past that. I am a much wiser man than I once was."

"We'll see," Crow scoffed.

Aki looked at them, feeling out of the loop of something important. She would have asked what it was, but they had just reunited and she didn't want to ruin the moment by bothering them about it.

"Anyway," she drawled, "how about we get to the cafe here? I'm supposed to meet my parents there. I'm sure they would love to see you guys again."

"Sure, that sounds great," Crow said, taking one of Aki's luggage. "Let's get going."

"Oh, you don't have to do that," Aki said as she tried to take back her bag.

"It's nothing," Jack told her, picking up her other piece of luggage. "Now let's get going before your parents get impatient."

She watched as they headed inside, smiling at their chivalry. Must have been Martha's doing. As she headed inside too, she looked at her phone for the time. It was still too early to call Yusei. She knew he would be hard at work right and wouldn't take her call. Most likely he would put his phone on silent to concentrate better. She would wait till evening to call. She just couldn't wait to see him after all this time, and the best part, he had no idea they were all returning to see him and their hometown! She didn't realize how her worries vanished as she saw her parents and ran up to them to give them big hugs too.

* * *

Yusei sighed deeply as he walked inside the building housing the Ener-D Reactor. He was greeted by his employees, most who bowed, others he was more casually with just nodding their heads. He tried to relax as he rode the elevator to his floor. Only authorized personnel were allowed on the higher floors of the building, which included the area designated for the reactor itself, a large portion of the building to be exact. Yusei strode confidently to his office once he stepped out the elevator.

"Good morning, sir," Kyoko smiled as she saw him.

Her once-black hair, now a dark green, was styled in a very modern way. It was short on the top layer looking like a wild bopcut, with the soft locks underneath long to her shoulders. Her bangs were parted to one side, clear for her soft-brown eyes to see. Her make-up was dark-purple eyeshadow, a bit of mascara and lipstick of the same purple. She had on her labcoat like Yusei, wearing all black underneath, skinny jeans and a turtleneck where the collar turned into a "V" on her neck and high-heeled, knee-high boots.

"Good morning, Kyoko," he greeted her. "Have you been waiting long?"

"Not really," she said. "I was able to finish those last calculations for the new reactor's activation. I send the results to our staff in San Francisco. By the way, Mr. Pegasus gives his regards."

"Maxillion is a busy man, I'm grateful he was able to give us this opportunity," Yusei said happy.

"Sir, the man retired years ago, I doubt his schedule is that packed that he couldn't afford time on such important projects like this," Kyoko said doubtful.

"He retired from Duel Monsters, but the company is still in his name. Maximillion can take back the company anytime he wants. In reality, he never left. He just leaves the financial aspects of his company to those he can truly trust. They still answer to him. And besides, he is invested in something rather big in the meantime," Yusei smirked softly, Kyoko getting the hint.

She knew what he was talking about. That was something pretty big.

"Right, sir," she said, following him inside his office. "So, here are the reports of the last diagnosis done on the reactor. Everything is running just fine and on schedule."

"So it seems," Yusei said as sat down behind his desk and read the first of the files she placed in front of him.

"Sir," Kyoko groaned a bit glum. "Don't do that."

"Do what?" Yusei looked up.

"That!" Kyoko exclaimed with her arms up. "You always worry so much about what may happen when the time comes to activate a new reactor. Even when a new one is proposed, you start panicking. It may not show as much as now, but we can tell."

"We?"

"Sir, Yusei, after all this time, you don't think that we haven't learned how to read your body language?" Kyoko gave him a mirthless laugh.

"I didn't know I was so easy to read," Yusei said with a raised eyebrow, placing the file to the side.

"Oh, you're not," she laughed again. "But Ms. Nagisa is good at reading people's body language."

"Of course she is," Yusei said, as he leaned back into his seat.

"Don't be mad at her. She just worries about you," Kyoko said.

"I know," Yusei stared at the files on his desk, not really looking at them. "After this is done, I'll rest easier. I promise."

Kyoko tried to see if he was telling her the truth, the way he sat relaxed told her enough, "Alright, sir. I hope you don't think bad about Ms. Nagisa, it's just... She really cares about you, and she already does so much, you both do."

She bowed before walking away, closing the door behind her. Yusei picked up a file, not really reading the material. He closed it, letting it sit on his lap. He thought about his friends. Talking to Kyoko made him think about them, and about himself, and about how much had changed in these last six years. They obviously had no idea he knew what they were planning, yet they didn't know how much had changed since their departure. He wondered how it would go. However it did, he was glad he would have Carly there to help him out, if she didn't disappear on him. He knew there was a part of her that was scared to see him again.

"I wonder how Jack will take it," he asked himself.

Yusei was not looking forward to that awkward moment.

"Why do I always have to play mediator for everyone?"

* * *

"Ruka, move it or lose it!" Rua joked as he walked ahead of his sister.

"I'm moving as fast as I can...considering some people can't take a hint!" she snapped angrily at the older, obese busineessman who had kept bothering her through the first part of their flight.

Luckily, before Rua could wring his hands around the man's neck, the stewardess came to the rescue and had the man kicked out of first-class for two reasons: 1) He was a bother to the other passengers and 2) He wasn't even supposed to be in first-class to begin with. After their flight had landed, he had tried to catch up to poor Ruka, who was seriously considering sicking her brother on him. Rua saw what was going on and immediately made his way to his sister. Grabbing her hand as tight as he could, Rua led Ruka towards luggage claim, but not before talking to a few security guards about the man harassing his younger sister. Watching the apparently married man frightened by the security guards, Rua tried not to laugh too hard.

"Thanks, Rua," Ruka breathed easier. "That man was really getting on my nerves."

"Don't mention it, sis," Rua smiled. "You know I always have your back."

And Ruka was very happy about that. Once they had their luggage, they headed for the cafe where Aki was still with her parents and the guys. As they walked in, one look between Aki and Ruka and the two of them were squealing and giggling like ten-year-olds. Hugging one another, the two women complimented each other on practically everything they were wearing and how they looked after all this time. Rua just waddled around them and greeted his former teammates and Aki's parents.

"Hey, Jack! Hey, Crow!" he smiled at them energetically, though not as crazily as his sister.

"Hey, kid," Crow chuckled. "Whoa! Look at you. Sprouted like a weed, huh?"

"Yeah, isn't it awesome?" Rua said, happy was now more eye-to-eye with the guys.

"I think it's quite amusing," Jack smirked, the two wondering what he meant. "Rua is now taller than you, Crow."

"What? No way," Crow protested with good humor.

"Actually, there does seem to be a bit a height difference between you two," Mr. Izayoi pointed out.

Before Crow could get upset, Mrs. Izayoi spoke up, "Actually, dear, the two of them are the same height. I think your sight isn't what it used to be."

Mr. Izayoi sputtered something about his age and how healthy he still was. Crow mouthed a "Thank You" to Mrs. Izayoi, who just smiled at him. Jack saw this, and instead of further teasing his friend over his height, he decided not to, otherwise Crow would bring up how little Jack had changed and that would start a whole different conversation. Once they had calmed down, Aki and Ruka joined the others.

"Thank you for gracing us with your prescence," Crow said with a grin.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Crow. It's nice to see you and Jack again," Ruka smiled sheepishly.

"Likewise," Jack nodded. "You've grown so much, as well."

"Yeah, you've become a beautiful young lady," Crow said with pride like he were her brother.

"Thank you," Ruka blushed.

"But it hasn't been easy with her," Rua whined, Ruka twitching. "I'll be the first to say how beautiful Ruka is, inside and out. Any guy would be lucky to have her, and that's the thing. ANY guy thinks he has a chance with her. Do you have any idea how many guys I've had come up to me and ask me for her number? And I knew right away they were no good because they had this look on their eyes that screamed they wanted one thing, and one thing from her. No freaking way! I know Ruka is a big girl, but I know how guys think, and I am not letting those creeps near her. Just now, some perverted, old guy was bothering her on the plane, and he wasn't even seated where we were!"

"Whoa, that's really bad," Crow said seriously.

"Are you okay, Ruka?" Aki asked worried.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Ruka waved it off casually. "It isn't as bad a Rua makes it sound. You guys remember how dramatic he always was, and that's one thing about him that hasn't changed. And that man was more annoying than anything."

"I am not dramatic," Rua huffe, his sister giving him a knowing look. "Okay, okay, I do have the knack to exaggerate things a little more than I should, but I only do it because I care. You can't blame me for that."

"I never do," Ruka giggled.

"This is quite the shocker, Rua actually taking responsibilty and being mature about it," Jack let out a chuckle.

"I know. That's a change we all like," Crow joked, Jack agreeing.

Rua's face fell, not liking being talked about as if he were not around, "I wasn't that bad. I was a kid. Gimme a break here!"

Everyone laughed, Rua shrugging it off, knowing they meant it all in good humor.

"Well, now, as wonderful as it is having you all back, what are you planning to do exactly?" Mr. Izayoi inquired.

"The thing is, we don't know exactly," Aki admitted. "We all started talking and felt it was time to reunite after all this time. Really, it was an excuse to come back to Neo Domino. I'm sure everyone has their own plans now that we're back, but I think it would be nice that we do some things together, make the most of it and see how things are now in the city."

"That sounds like a pretty good plan to me," Mrs. Izayoi said. "Do you all have plans on where you're staying? You're more than welcome in our home, we have plenty of room."

"I agree," Mr. Izayoi smiled.

"We're going to stay at Yusei's, after we surprise him," Crow beamed.

"I'm sure he won't mind, though I wonder what he did with my room," Jack said.

"Could we stay too?" Rua asked excitedly.

"Rua! Don't just invite yourself like that," Ruka said stern.

"Wait, hold on a moment," Mrs. Izayoi called a time-out. "You four don't know?"

"Know what, Mrs. Izayoi?" Ruka said.

"Yusei doesn't live in your old home anymore. He moved not long after you left," she told them.

"Seriously?" Crow said surprised. "What happened to our old place?"

"It...well..." Mr. Izayoi fumbled with his words, realizing how little the team knew. "...it burned down a year after you left."

"WHAT?!" they screamed in total shock, the other customers looking at them awkwardly.

"How?" Jack demanded.

"Did anyone get hurt?" Crow added.

"Why didn't anyone tell us anything?" Ruka exclaimed.

"Yeah, it's not like someone couldn't pick up a phone and say, 'Hey, how are you? We're good, nothing much going on except Yusei's place burning down!', right?" Rua yelled.

"Mom, I knew Yusei had moved, but he never told me about that," Aki said, the others fixing her a look.

"You knew?" Jack said.

"I only knew he had moved, not that his house had burned down," Aki answered.

"Most likely, the reason he never said anything was because he didn't want to worry you all," Mr. Izayoi brought up. "Yusei has always been one to think of others than himself. He knew you all were dealing with a lot, what with being on your own or moving to another country. I'm sure he never meant any harm."

"That's right. Yusei is good man, and no one was hurt," Mrs. Izayoi defended.

"I guess, when you two put it that way, it does make sense," Crow sighed heavily. "But he could have told us something."

"Again, I'm sure he didn't mean it," Mr. Izayoi said. "He is a very busy man. He probably meant to call you all but got caught up with work. You remember how deep into his work he gets."

"Even so," Jack said, arms crossed, "Yusei should have called sooner. It was our home for a good while too."

Crow nodded, sad their old place was gone and he had just found out about it.

"How about we take you to his new home?" Mrs. Izayoi offered. "You can talk to him there and ask him all the questions you want."

"That would nice," Ruka said, the others agreeing.

"Thanks, mom," Aki smiled. "But wait, isn't he at work at the moment?"

"Then, why don't we go home and wait till he gets off work? There's still plenty we would like to talk about with you and your friends, sweetie," Mrs. Izayoi suggested.

"Sounds as good a plan as any," Crow sighed.

"Let's get going then," Mr. Izayoi said, getting up to pay the bill.

As they filed out of the cafe, Jack lingered in the back. Crow, who was next to last, noticed and walked beside him.

"What are you thinking?" Crow asked nonchalant.

Jack didn't say anything right away, taking his time, "You know what."

"Jack...listen, I know it may seem bad Yusei never said anything, but," Crow looked to the side, "it's just as I told you, things change. Yes, our old place burning down is huge, but...did we really make that much of an effort to stay in touch too?"

Jack didn't like where the conversation was going. He started walking further ahead.

"Listen, man," Crow followed him. "If you really have grown like you said, then it shouldn't be that bad, right?"

"You talk about it like were that easy," Jack scoffed.

Crow said nothing more. There was nothing he could say to make his friend feel better. If he did, he would be lying. And there one was thing he didn't want to right now, it was lie to one of his best friends.

* * *

As she walked out of her meeting, files under her arm, Carly sneezed.

"Bless you," her co-worker said.

"Thank you," she blew into the tissue she was offered.

"You're welcome," he said. "From the force of it, someone must be missing you a great deal right now."

"Really?" she sniffled. "I can't think of anyone who would be thinking that way."

"It could someone from your past, someone you haven't seen in years," he continued.

"Nope, can't think of anyone," Carly chirped, throwing the tissue in the nearest trash bin. "Anyway, if I'm not needed for anything else, I'm going home."

"Hold it, Missy," a man stepped in front of her.

He looked to be 36, 37-years-old, tall and lightly tanned, with well-kempt auburn hair and green-brown eyes. He was dressed in a nice navy suit and tie, looking ready for a day of business. If only he were that serious. Though some of ladies around seemed to liked him anyway.

"My name is Carly," she blanched.

"I know, but that's beside the point," he said, his subordinate walking away. "I have a few questions myself about your report."

"You do? But I did everything per protocol," Carly said honestly.

"Yes, you did," the man nodded. "But there is something about it I wanted to talk to you about."

"Hatori, get to the point already," Carly huffed tired. "I have other things on my plate I need to deal with."

"Whoa, someone's grouchy," Hatori laughed.

"I'm sorry," Carly exhaled. "It's been a long, couple of weeks. The higher-ups are breathing down everyone's necks, and it's starting to get on my nerves."

"And here I thought you were nothing but sunshine and rainbows," Hatori made a motion with his arms like an arc.

"Normally, you would be right," she smiled, walking down the hall, Hatori behind her. "It's just with the new reactor activating this week, and news of strange happenings up north..."

"So the rumors are true," Hatori stated it as fact.

Carly handed the files she had to him, looking straight ahead, "It's more than that. But we still more to prove it."

"Good thing you used to be a reporter, that'll come in handy," he reminded her.

"That is also true," Carly said more energized. "I have to make some calls, but I should get something by the end of the week."

"I bow to your unmatched skill," Hatori said as he bowed gracefully.

"Thank you," Carly giggled, a thought suddenly popping in her head. "Hey, I just thought of something."

Hatori looked at her with a smile.

"Isn't today Yumi's talent show?" a few moments passed.

Hatori, still wearing his happy expression, turned on his heel and casually sped down the hall, "I'll see you later!"

"You can still make it! Good luck!" Carly yelled with a wave. "It's a good thing this rarely happens."

As she was about to leave, Carly realized something else.

"Oh, shoot! Hatori took the files with him," she then looked down as she stepped on something, her face blank as she looked at the scattered papers. "One thing you always count on Hatori for is leaving a mess he doesn't mean to make."

Gathering the papers, her phone rang. She struggled to get it and it dropped on the floor. She finally gave up picking up the mess and grabbed her phone, recognizing the number.

"Hey, Yusei. What's up?" she answered, slowly organizing the papers, happy the hall was empty at the time.

"Nothing much. We actually just finished the last preparations for the reactor activation," he replied back, the sound of his footsteps on the concrete floor telling her he was in the parking garage.

"So you're heading home already? That was quick," she said, halfway done with the papers.

"It's always like this, Carly," he smiled as he climbed onto his runner, "or did you forget already?"

"Hmm, probably," she stood up, the papers organized.

"Also..." he put on his helmet, the call transferring to his vizor automatically once he placed his phone in a slot on the dashboard. "About the other day..."

"Let me stop you right there," Carly said firm. "I get it, you don't have to explain yourself to me."

"I hope the others feel the same," Yusei wished for it very much.

"They will, and I will be there," Carly assured him.

Yusei stared out onto the road, his grip on his runner tightening, "Promise?"

"Pinky promise," she leaned against a wall with a sweet smile. "I'll see you home."

"Okay, bye," Yusei said.

"Bye," Carly hung up, gazing out the long windows of the hallway for what seemed forever, "Cross my heart..."

Yusei started his runner, looking both ways before revving off.

"...and hope to die," she whispered.

He decided to take the long way home that day.

**Hey, hey, hey! Mag-san here. Yes, I am alive! Alive, ALIVE! Sorry, couldn't help myself. Anyway...as I said before, I am bound to go between the dub and original series, but not intentionally. And it would only be on little things, I hope. I'll do my research just to be safe. Then again, this is fanfiction, where mistakes are many and abound! Behold the mistakes! Are you beholding them? You don't have to if you don't want to. And I did want to move onto the moment when the rest of the team reunites with Yusei, but the little voice in my head, aka my muse, didn't think it was time yet. No worries, it will happen next chapter. Hopefully...I'm just kidding! It will. Or will it? Okay, I'm done, it will.**

**Please review, because your words are MAGIC!**

**Preview: The teams tries to surprise Yusei, but end up surprised themselves. Will hilarity ensue? Would it be Yugioh if it didn't?**


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